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Cavs Notes: Roster, Okoro, Bates, Nance, Travers

August 10th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are still carrying just 10 players on standard guaranteed contracts for the 2024/25 season. However, the team doesn’t appear likely to make a series of roster additions before the regular season begins.

Craig Porter, who has a partially guaranteed salary, and Sam Merrill, who has a non-guaranteed deal, are penciled in as the 11th and 12th players on the 15-man regular season roster. And, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explains, one of the other roster openings remains earmarked for restricted free agent Isaac Okoro. There hasn’t been any movement recently in negotiations with Okoro, per Fedor, with Cleveland having made its position clear to the forward’s camp.

If Okoro returns as the 13th man, the 14th spot on the roster would likely be reserved for a “cost-effective, playable, end-of-bench veteran,” according to Fedor, who suggests that the ideal target would be a player who could provide depth and locker room leadership, like Tristan Thompson did last season.

New Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who is serving as an assistant for the French national team, is expected to meet with members of Cleveland’s front office after the Olympics to discuss what he’s looking for with that 14th roster spot, as well as possible targets, Fedor writes.

As for the 15th spot, the plan is to leave it open to begin the regular season in order to save some money and maximize the team’s roster flexibility, Fedor concludes.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Cleveland doesn’t yet have any players signed to two-way contracts for the coming season, but Fedor expects Emoni Bates to return in one of those slots. A two-way qualifying offer remains on the table for Bates, making him a restricted free agent. Pete Nance, who finished last season on a two-way contract and played a significant role on the Cavs’ Summer League team, is another strong candidate for a two-way deal, Fedor adds.
When draft-and-stash prospect Luke Travers left Melbourne United to pursue other professional opportunities, he made that decision in conjunction with the Cavs, sources tell Cleveland.com. However, the plan for Travers remains up in the air — having him sign a two-way contract is the most logical outcome, but it isn’t a certainty yet, says Fedor.
As Fedor observes, as long as the Cavs are carrying just 14 players on their standard roster instead of 15, their two-way players are limited to 90 total games (instead of 50 apiece), meaning Travers could spend plenty of time in the G League with the Cleveland Charge if he comes stateside on a two-way deal. That might be fine with him, but Fedor suggests that a deal in Europe – where he’d presumably have a bigger role than he would in the NBA – is another option that may still be in play for the 22-year-old Australian wing. The Cavs could also trade Travers’ NBA rights, though there’s no indication they’re pursuing that path.

Latest On Christian Koloko’s Comeback Effort

August 10th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Raptors big man Christian Koloko, who missed all of the 2023/24 season due to a blood clot issue that was said to be career-threatening, is on the comeback trail, according to Aaron Rose of SI.com.

After Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reported last month that Koloko had received medical clearance to resume playing, agent Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports provided an update to Rose on where things stand now with his client.

“We had a major breakthrough with his blood clot issue,” Andrews said. “They found the issue and he had corrective surgery and has been recovering (for) the last four months.”

According to Andrews, Koloko has been off blood thinners for the last month and will undergo a scan for blood clots later in August. “If there’s none, then everything is fine,” Andrews said.

Koloko held a workout for potential suitors during last month’s Las Vegas Summer League and has been able to participate in five-on-five, full-contact drills in recent weeks as he attempts to get back to 100% health. Chris Johnson, a trainer who has worked with a number of NBA players, posted a YouTube video this week of Koloko taking part in a scrimmage alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Johnson, Jordan Clarkson, Delon Wright, and several other active NBAers.

However, Koloko isn’t free to sign an NBA contract yet. As Rose details, the seven-footer will still need to be cleared by the league’s Fitness-to-Play panel, which could take a few more weeks. The hope is that it will happen before the start of the 2024/25 season, in which case Koloko would be able to join any NBA team — including his former club.

“The Raptors have kept very close eyes on his situation,” Andrews said. “And Koloko would have no problem coming back to the Raptors.”

The 33rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, Koloko appeared in 58 games for Toronto as a rookie, averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 13.8 minutes per game across 58 appearances (19 starts). The former Arizona standout is still just 24 years old.

Olympic Notes: Curry, Gobert, Fournier, Wembanyama

August 10th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

While no Team USA player wants to be remembered for missing out on a gold medal, the experience would be worse for Stephen Curry, who is likely involved in his only Olympics at age 36, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The reputation of the 2004 bronze medal team was among the thoughts going through Curry’s head when the U.S. faced a double-digit deficit against Serbia in the semifinals. The Americans were able to rally for a 95-91 victory, but the same pressure will return today in the gold medal game against France.

“I came into this experience thinking that this would be my one and only time to play in the Olympics and experience this stage,” Curry said. “So that was part of my sense of relief and joy (in the game). I didn’t want to be on the team that, (like) ’04, didn’t make it to the gold-medal game and get a gold medal in my one opportunity here. So you’re thinking about (all that) while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game that you know. It’s an interesting dynamic, because we all signed up for this, to accomplish a mission, and we’re one game away from doing it.”

Today’s matchup will be the first actual road game for Team USA, which will try to capture the gold in front of a hostile crowd in Paris. France has benefited from the rabid fan support, Amick adds, along with a lineup change that sparked upsets over Canada and Germany on the way to the gold medal contest.

Coach Vincent Collet decided to bench Rudy Gobert and play Victor Wembanyama at center, while inserting Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier into the starting lineup. France has looked much better over the past two games, and that’s without a dominant performance from Wembanyama, who’s shooting just 6-of-27 since knockout play began.

“You expect them to play the game of their life, because they’re gonna have the home court adrenaline (and) they’re riding big momentum after these last two games,” Curry said. “You’ve got to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”

There’s more from Paris:

Gobert logged nine total minutes in the past two games, but Collet indicated that his role might increase against the taller U.S. team, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Obviously, Rudy would prefer to play more,” Collet said. “But clearly, for the moment, this adjustment allowed us to play better in these two games. But on the other hand, the cards can be very redistributed on Saturday. Different matchups, with teams with different profiles.”
Evan Fournier is among the French players with experience in facing Team USA, beating them in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and losing a tight game for the Olympic gold medal three years ago in Tokyo, notes Aris Barkis of Eurohoops. He’s looking forward to today’s gold medal rematch. “I think we know that France has a lot of potential, but the potential has got to go on the court,” Fournier said. “We have to be able to play team basketball.”
Wembanyama has been among the most visible athletes at the Olympics, with Nike ads in the Paris subways and a giant image of him placed on scaffolding in the city, per Jeff Zillgitt and Kim Hjelmgaard of USA Today. It’s an extreme amount of pressure for a 20-year-old who’s expected to be the future of both French and NBA basketball. Wembanyama talked this week about having a “feeling of responsibility” as he tries to deliver the nation’s first-ever gold in Olympic basketball.

Brad Stevens Provides Update On Kristaps Porzingis

August 10th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is working out in Latvia, but the team still doesn’t expect him back on the court for several months, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in an interview with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Porzingis missed most of the playoffs after suffering a strained right calf in Boston’s first-round series against Miami. He underwent surgery in late June for a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg and was given a five- to six-month recovery timeline that could delay his return until sometime in 2025.

“He’s starting to do more and more and more,” Stevens said of Porzingis, who recently posted an online photo of himself during a workout. “He was in a boot for a while there, but every indication is he’s progressing well and he’s on the right timeline. But it’s going to be a while.”

Surgery had already been planned for Porzingis when he was given permission to return for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He played 16 minutes as the Celtics wrapped up their 18th championship, saying he was willing to risk further injury to be part of the experience. Stevens explained the process that led to the decision to have Porzingis play.

“He was going to have to have surgery regardless,” Stevens said. “He was moving better than he was before Games 3 and 4 and had probably gotten more used to it. And the outcome wasn’t going to change whether he played or not after that moment. It was just, really, could he do it? I was pretty impressed that he did. I don’t know exactly what he felt like, but I know he wasn’t 100 percent. But the toughness to get out there and do it was awesome. But that didn’t make it worse, and it wasn’t going to.”

Stevens touches on several more topics in the lengthy interview:

The Celtics have a strong Olympic presence with Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all playing for Team USA, but Jaylen Brown was upset with the process that led to his exclusion. Stevens said he talked with USA Basketball director Grant Hill, who expressed interest in having Brown as part of the 2028 team. “I think Jaylen is one of the best players in the world,” Stevens added. “And one of the best things about Jaylen is whether he gets the call and makes the team or doesn’t get the call, he’s going to use it as motivation to get better. So I know he’s working and he’s excited about improving. I think he’ll truly embrace the challenges that come with winning last year. That’s who he’s always been. And this will probably add more fuel to his fire. But he doesn’t need much fuel added. He finds it.”
It’s been a frustrating Olympics for Tatum, who has seen limited playing time so far. Stevens said Tatum hasn’t complained about the experience and suggested he could still be a factor in Saturday’s gold medal game against France. “When we’ve talked, he’s been all about the team,” Stevens said. “This is such a unique opportunity to win a gold medal in the Olympics. He’s always ready. The championship game will be a great road environment, and he shines in those situations.”
Stevens reiterated his support for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who was under fire last summer after losing to Miami in the conference finals. “[The criticism] was more intense than it should have been on him the year before, and that’s one of the reasons I am happy for him, because he didn’t deserve that the year before,” Stevens said. “And to his credit, I think he’s been super humble about this achievement, because that’s necessary, too. He has to handle this right, because people are going to follow his lead.”

Serbia Captures Bronze Medal At Olympics

August 10th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Nikola Jokic posted the fifth triple-double in men’s Olympic basketball history on Saturday as Serbia defeated Germany in the bronze medal game, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Nuggets star had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and led Serbia to a 93-83 victory in a battle of teams coming off heartbreaking losses in the semifinal round.

Two other NBA players had prominent roles in Serbia’s victory, which brought the nation its second Olympic men’s basketball medal. Hornets guard Vasilije Micic also scored 19 points, while the Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia’s captain and career leading scorer in Olympic competition, added 16.

“It was difficult to sleep (after the Team USA loss),” Bogdanovic admitted. “We didn’t sleep that day, that night at all. It was a late game, but the next day, we all wake up and (Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic) was ready with the (team) meeting. He was ready with the same meeting that he did the whole year — a little bit longer, of course. But that was his way. We believed. We didn’t complain. We weren’t late. Yeah, we play together. We win together. We lose together. We are together. We celebrate together.”

Serbia took advantage of hot shooting to build an early lead, making 12 of its first 17 shots. They were up 46-38 at halftime and broke open the game with an 18-7 run in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 19 points. With Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner all struggling to make shots, the Germans weren’t able to make a serious run after that.

“We weren’t going home without a medal, especially after what happened two days ago,” Serbian big man Filip Petrusev said. “We owed it to ourselves. We owed it to the country, to the people that supported us. Two days ago, the whole country was so proud of us, so we had to bring something home. That was the mentality. You all saw it two days ago against the best team ever (in Team USA), maybe, that needed all kinds of help, and maybe luck a little bit (to win). … But I just hope this is not our last time altogether. I think this team can … in the future, be even better. This might be one of the best teams Serbia ever had.”

It was a disappointing outcome for Germany, whose men’s basketball team has still never medaled in Olympic competition. After going unbeaten in last year’s FIBA World Cup, the Germans looked like the most serious challenger to the U.S. through group play, but back-to-back losses mean they’re going home empty-handed.

Despite the outcome, the 30-year-old Schröder told reporters that he’s far from finished with international competition, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

“Coach, I said I’m going to play until 40,” he said to Gordon Herbert at the post-game press conference. “I don’t know why they’re asking me this. I’m playing until I’m 40. That’s my goal. Hopefully, if I play until 40, my teammates can play until 36-37 and make it special.”

The game may have been the last Olympics appearance for Pesic, whose contract as coach of the Serbian national team has expired. He talked about his future following the game, relays Kevin Martorano of Sportando, saying he’s unsure what he’ll do next, but he hopes to have a role in continuing to build Serbian basketball in advance of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

New York Notes: Brunson, Lessort, Schröder, Nets

August 9th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson explained why he was willing to accept a four-year, $156.5MM contract extension this summer. The deal was the biggest one Brunson was able to sign at this point, but he could have landed a significantly more lucrative payday if he had waited another year.

“Priority A, I secured I think a decent amount of money to support myself and my family, my extended family in the current time. I didn’t have to wait a year,” Brunson said. “Like I said, a lot can happen in a year. Everyone in this room has seen a lot happen in a year when players wait out. So that’s one thing. No. 2 — I would love to be here, I want to be here the rest of my career. And winning trumps everything I do individually. Like I said, when you win as a team, individuals can grow from that. That’s at the front of my mind at all times — what can I do to win?”

While Brunson will have a chance down the road to make up much of the money he “lost” by signing an early extension, his deal will provide the Knicks with added cap flexibility for the next few seasons. The veteran point guard told reporters that he has studied team-first champions from other sports, such as Tom Brady and Derek Jeter, and that he took those examples into account when making his decision.

“First, Tom Brady and Derek Jeter are in a class of their own. I’m not saying I’m a part of that class,” Brunson said. “Second, those dudes are the epitome of winning. They did whatever it took to win. That was on the forefront of their minds. I just knew if I did this, it would give us a lot of flexibility and put us in position to win.

“And I know that a lot of people don’t agree with it. A lot of people are saying it’s not the smart thing from a personal standpoint. But I just know — I’m comfortable here. This is home for me. I don’t worry about what anybody else says, what they think. That’s their opinion. They can have it.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The Knicks, who acquired Mathias Lessort‘s draft rights back in 2020, inquired earlier this offseason about the 28-year-old’s interest in coming stateside, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, the two sides weren’t able to find common ground, says Begley. Vincent Collet, the head coach of the French national team, recently expressed surprise that Lessort isn’t in the NBA.
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Nets point guard Dennis Schröder talked about growing up in Germany, playing in the Olympics, and his desire to remain in Brooklyn for the final year of his current contract — and potentially well beyond that. “I want to be in Brooklyn long-term. Hopefully that works out,” Schröder said. “I want to be a veteran who shows the young people the way and how we should play and how we play as a team. I understand that the NBA is always more individual, but I want to make one team like we had in Atlanta where it was about just winning and really not (caring) who scores. And I want to bring that back to the NBA, to the Brooklyn Nets.”
While plenty can change between now and July 2025, the Nets are currently the only team projected to have significant cap room next summer, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even before accounting for possible in-season trades and/or extensions, cap projections can vary significantly depending on which cap holds and options are assumed to be on the books, but Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) also projects Brooklyn to have the most cap space of any team in 2025.

And-Ones: Guy, WBD Lawsuit, 21-And-Under Players, More

August 9th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Virginia star Kyle Guy, who was the 55th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, is returning to his alma mater as an athlete development mentor and special assistant, according to a press release from the program.

“C’ville I am back!” Guy said in a statement. “I want to sincerely thank Coach (Tony) Bennett and (athletic director) Carla Williams for trusting me with the opportunity to come back and begin this next chapter of my life. This was not an easy decision for me, but knowing how much love I have for this culture and community made it very clear where I should be with my family. I’m beyond excited to help this team and the University in any way needed.”

Guy, who will turn 27 on Sunday, spent three years in the NBA from 2019-22, appearing in a total of 53 regular season games for the Kings and Heat and averaging 3.1 points in 8.1 minutes per contest. He spent the past two seasons playing internationally in Spain and Greece. However, his new role and his accompanying statement suggest that he’s prepared to put his playing career behind him.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The judge who is overseeing Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit against the NBA has given the league until August 23 to respond, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). If the NBA moves to dismiss the suit, WBD would have until September 20 to file its opposition, then the league would have until October 2 to respond again. The lawsuit was a response to the league rejecting TNT’s right to match Amazon’s offer for NBA media rights.
James L. Edwards III, Kelly Iko and Will Guillory of The Athletic conducted a 24-player mock draft of NBA players who were 21 or younger at the end of the 2023/24 season. Victor Wembanyama, unsurprisingly, was the top pick, followed by Paolo Banchero, Alperen Sengun, Brandon Miller, and Dereck Lively.
The rest of the basketball world hasn’t caught up to the United States, but a down-to-the-wire semifinal game against Serbia at the Olympics was a reminder that the gap is narrowing, writes Seerat Sohi of The Ringer. Sohi notes that France, led by Wembanyama and youngsters like Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Tidjane Salaun, and projected 2025 lottery pick Nolan Traore, could be a future powerhouse, while Canada is still on the rise despite a disappointing 2024 outcome.

NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Atlanta Hawks

August 9th, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Atlanta Hawks.

Free agent signings

Cody Zeller: Three years, $11,025,000. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Signed using Non-Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Pelicans.
Vit Krejci: Four years, $10,185,213. Second year partially guaranteed ($1.5MM). Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.

Trades

Acquired the draft rights to Nikola Djurisic (No. 43 pick) from the Heat in a three-team trade in exchange for the draft rights to AJ Griffin (to Rockets) and cash (to Heat).
Acquired Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller (sign-and-trade), the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick, and either the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ 2027 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-four protected) from the Pelicans in exchange for Dejounte Murray.
Acquired David Roddy from the Suns in exchange for E.J. Liddell.

Draft picks

1-1: Zaccharie Risacher
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $57,027,436).
2-43: Nikola Djurisic
- Unsigned.

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Saddiq Bey (Wizards)
Trent Forrest (Baskonia)
Wesley Matthews (unsigned)
Dylan Windler (unsigned)

Other moves

Exercised Garrison Mathews‘ 2024/25 team option ($2,230,253).
Waived Bruno Fernando.

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
Carrying approximately $169.5MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.
Two traded player exceptions available (largest worth $25,266,266).

The offseason so far

The Hawks’ offseason began with a bang, as the team unexpectedly landed the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, moving up nine spots from No. 10 in the pre-lottery odds.

In another year (say, 2023), that stroke of luck might’ve fundamentally changed the direction of the franchise. However, the 2024 draft class didn’t feature a generational prospect – or even a clear-cut top option – so moving up to first overall didn’t really alter Atlanta’s offseason goals. The team still had a backcourt situation to address, with either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young considered likely to be traded

It was ultimately Murray who was on the move, sent to the Pelicans in exchange for a package that included a promising young guard (Dyson Daniels), a useful role player (Larry Nance Jr.), a couple salary-matching pieces, and some draft assets.

While Atlanta made two more minor deals this summer, trade candidates like Young, Clint Capela, and De’Andre Hunter remain on the roster, with little indication that the club is aggressively looking to move any of them. And it was a quiet summer in free agency for the Hawks, whose only signings were Cody Zeller (part of the Murray deal via sign-and-trade) and Vit Krejci (who got a promotion after finishing last season on a two-way deal).

The Hawks now appear caught somewhere in between contending and rebuilding. With Young, Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and rising star Jalen Johnson on the roster, Atlanta isn’t about to bottom out, but there’s not enough talent spread throughout the rest of the roster to make the team a legit threat to win the Eastern Conference. The development of No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher will also require some patience, as he’s unlikely to become a high-level rotation player right away.

The Hawks’ roster underwent some changes this summer, but it still feels like more could be coming, either in the fall or at the 2025 trade deadline.

Up next

With Murray gone, I wouldn’t expect Young to go anywhere this summer or fall, but his situation will be worth monitoring going forward if the Hawks remain stuck in the middle. Capela is the more likely trade candidate in the short term, given that he’s entering a contract year and the club has his potential long-term replacement (23-year-old Onyeka Okongwu) under team control through 2028.

The Hawks currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard deals and are operating just under the tax line, so if they do make a deal, they won’t want to take on any extra salary. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this is the group they take into the regular season.

Even if that’s the case, there’s one more major contract situation to address: Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21, the day before the regular season begins. And after a breakout year in which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 33.7 minutes per game across 56 contests, he’ll have some leverage in those negotiations.

On the latest episode of Yahoo Sports’ No Cap Room podcast (YouTube link), Jake Fischer indicated that the fourth-year forward is hoping for a maximum-salary deal and that his agency – Klutch Sports – will likely open negotiations with Atlanta by asking for that amount, if that hasn’t happened already.

“The Hawks made basically everyone available for trade since February besides him,” Fischer said. “So of course you’re going to be thinking, ‘Well, pay me that way.'”

Still, as Fischer points out, Johnson has had some injury issues and played an extremely limited role prior to the 2023/24 season, so the Hawks won’t just hand him a maximum-salary contract. If that’s his demand, he’ll likely reach restricted free agency in 2025 and have to show in ’24/25 that he’s worth that sort of investment. If he’s willing to compromise with the club, perhaps the two sides will work something out by this year’s Oct. 21 deadline.

No. 43 overall pick Nikola Djurisic‘s situation is also worth keeping an eye on. He’s one of the last remaining unsigned 2024 draftees, but he’s recovering from foot surgery and will miss the start of the season, while Atlanta doesn’t currently have a 15-man or two-way roster spot available.

It’d be easy enough for the Hawks to open up a two-way spot if that’s the plan for Djurisic, but he looks like a candidate to become a draft-and-stash prospect. That would mean spending the 2024/25 season either playing overseas or as a member of the College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks’ G League affiliate.

Poll: Who Will Win Saturday’s Gold, Bronze Medal Games?

August 9th, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Saturday’s gold and bronze medal matchups at the Paris Olympics may look awfully familiar to fans of international basketball.

In the battle for gold, the United States and France will meet in a rematch of the 2020 Olympic final, when Team USA beat the French team by a score of 87-82 in Tokyo.

The U.S. squad is currently a 16-point favorite in Saturday’s rematch, according to BetOnline.ag. That’s no real surprise. Team USA, with a more loaded roster than the one it took to Tokyo, dominated the group stage with a 3-0 record and a +64 point differential, while France had just a +2 point differential and needed an overtime victory over Japan to secure a 2-1 record.

But France has the home crowd on its side and has pulled off an impressive pair of upsets in the knockout round, defeating Canada and Germany in consecutive contests to get back to the gold medal game. The U.S., meanwhile, looked beatable for the first time this tournament in its semifinal vs. Serbia and needed to erase a 17-point deficit to advance to the final.

Team USA has won men’s basketball gold in every Olympics since 2004 and it would be a major surprise if it didn’t happen again, but if the French team – led by rising star Victor Wembanyama – plays like it did against Canada and Germany, it should at least be a competitive game.

As for the bronze medal matchup, it’s another rematch of a recent international showdown — Germany defeated Serbia at the 2023 FIBA World Cup last September for gold. On Saturday, the two nations will square off in the hopes of earning an Olympic medal. It would be the first Olympic men’s basketball medal for Germany or the second for Serbia, which won silver in Rio in 2016.

While Germany took last year’s gold medal game, the Serbians didn’t have star center Nikola Jokic on their World Cup roster. Having the three-time NBA MVP available for this game makes Serbia the favorite, but oddsmakers are expecting a close one — BetOnline.ag has the Germans listed as just two-point underdogs.

While Jokic has led the way for Serbia with 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has been a reliable sidekick, matching Jokic’s scoring average (18.8 PPG) while also chipping in 4.4 RPG and 4.0 APG and making 42.9% of his three-point attempts. Vasilije Micic (12.2 PPG, 5.0 APG), Filip Petrusev (9.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG), and Aleksa Avramovic (10.0 PPG) are among the team’s other key contributors.

On the other side, the Germans have been led by Dennis Schröder (18.0 PPG, 7.8 APG) and Franz Wagner (18.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG), with Daniel Theis (9.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG), Isaac Bonga (9.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG), and Moritz Wagner (8.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG) also playing significant roles.

Prior to their semifinal loss to France, Germany looked like perhaps the second-best team in the tournament, with a 4-0 record and a +60 point differential. But Serbia has been awfully good too — they’ve lose twice to the U.S., but have gone 3-0 with a +57 point differential against everyone else.

We want to know what you think. Who will win the gold and bronze medal games in Paris on Saturday?

Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!

Team USA Notes: Durant, Holiday, Brown, Tatum, Embiid

August 9th, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA will make a lineup change for its gold medal game on Saturday vs. France, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says that Suns forward Kevin Durant will be inserted into the starting five, with Celtics guard Jrue Holiday expected to make the move to the bench.

Durant missed all of Team USA’s exhibition contests leading up to the Olympics due to a calf strain, or else he might have been a starter from day one. Despite not getting any game reps in before the Olympics, Durant has been one of the team’s most-used players and top scorers in France, averaging 13.6 points in 20.5 minutes per contest and posting a white-hot shooting line of .579/.611/.929.

The French team’s frontcourt is its biggest strength, with Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele, and Mathias Lessort playing key roles in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Rudy Gobert is also in that mix, though he’s banged up and has played a limited role in the knockout round. Adding Durant to the starting five will put the U.S. squad in a better position to match up with France’s size.

Here’s more on Team USA ahead of Saturday’s gold medal game:

USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic and Rachel Nichols on the All The Smoke podcast (YouTube link) about the process of building the U.S. roster and his areas of concern entering the tournament. In his conversation with Nichols, Hill discussed the omission of Jaylen Brown from the 12-man squad, indicating that the Celtics wing will receive consideration for the 2028 team in Los Angeles despite the public criticism Brown offered last month. “He’ll be a candidate if he wants in ’28,” Hill said (Twitter video link). “One thing I’ve learned is you can’t take anything personal. My objective is to win.”
After Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was a DNP-CD for the second time in the Olympics in Thursday’s comeback win over Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr explained that it’s hard to find playing time for 11 players in a 40-minute game, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing,” Kerr said. “It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.” While it’s a small sample size, Tatum’s .389 FG% in Olympic play is the worst among U.S. players.
Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic take a look at the Joel Embiid subplot that will play a part in Saturday’s final, given that the former NBA MVP chose to play for United States over France in these Olympics. Embiid fully anticipates a cool reception from the home crowd in Paris. “They’re going to boo me,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to go back at them and tell ’em to suck it. And so it’s going to be fun.”

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